CLEVELAND, Ohio – Dirk Nowitzki is the rarest of creatures,
a breed so unique that it has never been truly commonplace. He's 7 feet tall,
with the silky, pure outside shot of a guard. That is uncommon enough.

But he's unusual, too, in the distinction of having played
his entire 16-year career with the Dallas Mavericks.

It doesn't happen much anymore that an athlete spends his
entire career with a single team. It hasn't happened much at all, actually. Romanticism
of prior sports eras would suggest that every athlete played for years for the
team that selected him in the draft. But even Wilt Chamberlain played for the Philadelphia
Warriors, San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers.

"I basically
grew up in Dallas," Nowitzki told The Plain Dealer. "I came over here at 19 or
20 and now I'm 35. I've spent half of my life here. It is important for me to
be a Maverick because I have deep connections with this franchise. The fans
supported me through disappointing playoff losses. They were always by my side
as I grew as a player. I can't see myself playing for another franchise."

That kind of
loyalty isn't prevalent throughout the league. We're in an NBA of SuperFriends
and the pursuit of money and warm weather. Even Zydrunas Ilgauskas, whose
number was retired by the Cavaliers on Saturday after his 12 seasons in
Cleveland, spent one unforgettable year in Miami (and technically was traded to
Washington, though he never played for the Wizards).

"Nowadays,
it's about teaming up to build a powerhouse," Nowitzki said. "I'm not sure if we'll
ever see a time where guys stick around again."

These days, Joakim Noah is just as likely to whisper to
Carmelo Anthony that a dynasty could be built in Chicago if joins the Bulls
when his contract is up.

"The dollar dictates
many times where they end up -- not the franchise, not the city, not the fans,"
former Cavaliers coach and current analyst Mike Fratello said. "It's being
dictated by things other than some essential things that I think are part of
the fiber of sports, and the pride the fans take in a city, buying the jerseys
to wear, buying the jackets to wear, buying the hats and all that."

Still, there are lifers. Few and far between, but they exist. Kobe Bryant has never left the
Lakers. Bill Russell is synonymous with the Boston Celtics after 13 seasons
there. Joe Dumars played 14 seasons with the Detroit Pistons. Reggie Miller was
with the Indiana Pacers for 18 seasons, John Stockton with the Utah Jazz for
19.

"There's a loyalty
thing involved here, which I'm sure many of the owners in the league wish they
had players on their teams who were those kind of guys who were buying in and
were, 'Hey, I'm part of this organization. I'm part of this franchise. This is
where I want to be. Let's make this thing work the right way,'" Fratello said.

Ilgauskas's number retirement
is as much about his loyalty to Cleveland as it is about his accomplishments as
a Cavalier.

"This is a guy who
basically found a home in Cleveland and was part of a team that gave this city
a lot of great wins along the way, carried them to a lot of terrific memories,
who didn't leave when he had chances to leave, stayed there all the way
through," Fratello said.

Some players will
always be associated with one team. Kobe is L.A. Ilgauskas is Cleveland. Nowitzki is Dallas.
The 7-foot German has said he wants to play a few more years with the Mavericks
before he retires. But only in Dallas.